Zeljkovic goal gives Mohun Bagan halftime lead over East Bengal in IFA Shield final

Samir Zeljkovic scored a late goal to give Mohun Bagan Super Giant a 1-0 lead over East Bengal at halftime in the IFA Shield 2026 final at the Salt Lake Stadium. The Bosnian midfielder found the net following an assist from Sahal Abdul Samad, rewarding the Mariners for a relentless wave of attacking pressure before the break. Both teams had earlier missed several chances during a tightly contested opening period. East Bengal started the match strongly with early moves from Edmund Lalrindika and Bipin, while Mohun Bagan responded through Lee Harry Erwin, Lallianzuala Chhangte, and an unmarked header from Mehtab Singh that went just over the crossbar.

Context

As arch-rivals in Indian football, East Bengal and Mohun Bagan meet frequently in high-stakes derby matches across major domestic tournaments. The IFA Shield is one of the country's historic football competitions, drawing intense fan interest across West Bengal.